As he approaches his 30th birthday next Monday on day one of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, 17-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion Roger Federer insists that he has many good years of tennis ahead of him. Federer, who is No. 3 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings behind new World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, said during a telephone press conference Wednesday that he is encouraged by the longevity of past players such as Andre Agassi, who won 15 titles, including two Australian Opens, after turning 30.
“I [have] inspiration [from] guys that played for a very long time, like Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ken Rosewall, Rod Laver, as it's very inspiring to see what they've been able to do,” said Federer.“People tend to say that after a certain time or when you have kids you can’t win any more. I don't want to say I'm a special case, but I've won so much, I feel like if I put myself in the right position, do all the right things, I'll definitely get a shot again of winning big tournaments.”
Federer, who won his lone 2011 title in the first week of the season in Doha, played down the significance of turning 30. “Birthdays happen. They're part of life. I'm happy I'm getting older. I'd rather be 30 than 20, to be honest. To me it's a nice time.”
A winner of the Rogers Cup in 2004 and ‘06, Federer added. “I’m excited to see how the Canadians are going to celebrate my birthday this time around. Sometimes they start singing 'Happy Birthday' during a match. I'm not going to play on Monday, but you never know if they're going to do something crazy another day.”
Federer, who reached the quarter-finals and final in his past two appearances in Montreal in 2009 and ’07, will play The Rogers Cup and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he is the defending champion, in preparation for the US Open, an event he won five straight times from 2004 to 2008.
“Every time the US Open rolls around, I'm very, very excited,” expressed Federer. “It’s a great feeling coming back to New York. Honestly, I liked it from day one. It was one of those tournaments I right away I fell in love with.”
The 16-time Grand Slam champion last lifted the trophy on Arthur Ashe Stadium three years ago, defeating Andy Murray in straight sets. Though he hasn’t won a Grand Slam title since the 2010 Australian Open, the 16-time major champion believes he has several more opportunities to add to his Grand Slam haul. “My game is in a good place right now and I'm excited to see how I'm going to do at the US Open,” said Federer. “I don't feel it's my last chance, not at all. I see many more chances to come.”
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